Filter Articles

The Australian Greens today stood with Griffith locals against uncovered coal trains passing through the electorate.

Greens candidate for Griffith, Geoff Ebbs, said: "The Cleveland line runs right through Griffith and with multiple coal trains passing through every day with uncovered wagons, this is a major issue for locals.

"According to the CSIRO, more Australians die from particle pollution, like coal dust, than from car crashes each year.

It's time we took the air we breathe more seriously. Industries continue to pump dangerous emissions into our atmosphere that have huge costs to human health - and Australia's air quality protections are lagging behind.

The Greens will deliver a Clean Air Act to cut toxic pollution and help keep our most precious resource clean and healthy.

Greens health spokesperson, Dr Richard Di Natale, said today that the Greens-initiated Senate Inquiry on air quality will focus on the health impacts of coal.

“Coal dust is a very real threat to human health,” said Senator Di Natale.

“The mining, transportation and combustion of coal can lead to serious health impacts for workers and surrounding communities. People can suffer diseases like asthma and even lung cancer as a result to fine coal dust particles.